"To date, five cases have been confirmed," she said. According to Popova, all these cases are related to people who spent their vacations in the Dominican Republic. "Today all of them are in good health, they have been cured and feel well," she added.

When asked about new suspected Zika virus cases in Russia, Popova noted that suspicions are always there. She added that all persons coming from abroad who feel sick undergo medical examinations.

On February 1, the World Health Organization recognized Zika virus spread in South and North America a public health emergency of international concern.

The Zika virus was first identified in 1947 in the Zika Forest of Uganda. Last May, when the virus started rapidly spreading in Brazil and then spread to other countries of South and North America, it became a topic for wider discussion.

At the moment, outbreaks are registered in Asia, Africa, in South and North America and in the Pacific region.